Page:The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth century (1887) - Volume 1.djvu/471

EDINBURGH CASTLE 451 - THIRD PERIOD " A Survey taken of the Castle and Towne of Edinbrogh in Scotland by us Rowland Johnson and John Fleminge servantes to the Q. Ma tie by the Comandement of Sir William Drury, knighte, Govemo r of Berwicke and Mr Henry Killigrave Her Ma ties Embassadors as followethe [27 January 1572-3] : " Furste, We fynde the Castle standinge upon a natural mayn rocke on greate hightes like vj c foote longe and iiij hunderethe foote brode. " On the fore parte estwarde, next the towne stands lyke iiij xx foote of the waule, and next unto the same stands Davyes Towre and from it a courten with vj cannons or such lyke peaces in loopes of stone lookinge in the Streatwarde ; and behynd the same standes another teare of ordinance lyke xvj foote clym above the other, and at the Northe side stands the Constables Towre and in the bottom of the same is the way into the Castle with steppes. " Also we fynd upon the said este syde a Spurre lyke a bulwarke stand- ing befor the foot of the rocke that the said courten stands on, which spurre incloseth that syde flanked out on both sydes ; and on the Southe syde is the Gaite where they enter into the Castle, which spur is like xx foote hye, vamyred with turfe and baskets set up and furnished with Ordinance. " The lowest parte on this syde of this courten waule is xxiiij foote hye and the rocke under the foute of the waule where it is lowest is xxx foote. Davyes Towre is about Ix foote hye, the Constables Towre is lyke 1 foote. We fynd that there is no myndinge can prevaile in this rocke but only battery with ordinance to beat downe the waules and so to make the clyme." From this description, and the contemporary drawing, it is possible to make out that the general position of the buildings, batteries, etc., fronting the east was not unlike that shown in Dr. Chanibers's restora- tion. The form of David's Tower is peculiar, and is evidently taken from that shown in Drury's report ; but it should be noticed that the other contemporary drawing (Fig. 391) shows this tower as a plain square keep, with flat top, of the form universally adopted at that time in Scotland. In 1573 Elizabeth sent a force to the Regent's assistance under Sir William Drury, who opened five batteries against the Castle, and in nine days almost completely demolished the eastern front, including David's Tower and the Constable's Tower, so that " the ruins ran like a sandy brae " and choked up the well, and so compelled the garrison to sur- render. The ancient Castle was almost completely destroyed during this siege, and it is from the date of the rebuilding of the Castle by the Regent Morton after the siege that the existing modern Castle, whose appearance is so familiar, begins.